BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President, Melanie Fonder Kaye
Melanie Fonder Kaye founded the strategic communications firm MFK Strategies in 2014. She is an experienced communications strategist, writer, and former Director of Communications to Dr. Jill Biden. Before that, Melanie was a vice president at GMMB, where she helped create real and lasting change through advocacy and communications for a variety of progressive issues and clients. A Wisconsin native, she also served as press secretary to former Governor Jim Doyle. She is a co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American Government and was a reporter covering politics and government for The Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C., The Green Bay News-Chronicle, and the political news service WisPolitics.com.
Vice President, Cassandra McKee
Cassandra McKee is the Founder of Common Thread Advisory, where she partners with individuals, foundations, and collaboratives to align philanthropic resources with the needs of social justice movements. With more than two decades of experience in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, Cassandra brings a relationship-driven, strategic approach to helping donors navigate complexity and act with intention. An issue generalist with deep ties to organizations advancing economic justice, worker power, and families’ economic security, she believes philanthropy is most effective when rooted in community, creativity, and care. Cassandra received her MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a BA in Women’s Studies from Drew University. She is an active member of the DC Modern Quilt Guild and enjoys creating art with her husband and two sons.
Treasurer, Diana Farina-Borlase
Diana Farina-Borlase has over a decade of financial services experience as an accountant for KBS, a CFO services/accounting firm. She has worked with a wide range of small business clients and is currently pursuing her CPA license. She likes the technical aspects of her work, but equally enjoys the interactions she has with her clients and team. Prior to her work as an accountant, she spent ten years as a certified urban planner working on Smart Growth initiatives and regional demographic forecasting and planning for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. She holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. She was first introduced to CREATE Arts Center when she and her two children began taking family pottery classes several years ago. When she is not spending time with her family and friends, she is a beginning beekeeper and avid gardener.
Secretary, Heath Winter
Heath Winter works at Longacre Square Partners as a strategic advisor to corporations and their shareholders; his expertise is in corporate governance and finance-related communications. Originally from Long Island, NY, he graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA in finance in 2004 and from George Washington University with a BA in International Affairs in 1997. Prior to joining the board of Create Arts Center, Heath’s voluntary engagements included Montgomery Hospice, the Corporate Volunteer Council, and the Temple Shalom Brotherhood. Past professional experience includes Institutional Shareholder Services’ Special Situation Research group (2019 – 2023) and ArbitrOption Capital Management (2009 – 2018). Heath believes that arts education and art therapy can make a tangible difference in anyone’s life and, like his fellow board members, aims to support Create Art Center’s mission by ensuring there is financial stability, careful stewardship of resources, and active outreach to potential participants and supporters.
Director, Erica Weiss
Erica Weiss has served as President of Create Arts Center’s Board since 2020. She brings over 25 years of experience in public health, the arts, and small business development. Erica earned her Master’s Degree in Public Health and her Master’s Degree in the Science of Urban Planning from Columbia University, NYC. She serves as the Sr. Writer and Content Strategist for the National Association of Community Health Centers, and for fun, she is a ceramic artist, kayaker, and activist for smart-green initiatives. Recently, Erica helped a group of high school students pass statewide legislation for a new $1.25 million grant program in support of composting and food recovery at schools throughout Maryland. Erica is excited to offer her unique blend of leadership, advocacy, strategy, partnership development, and a deep belief in the power of the arts to Create Arts Center
Director, Michele Bulatovic
Michele Bulatovic is a nonprofit leader with more than two decades of experience advancing social justice through community engagement, immigration initiatives, and the arts. Most recently, she led U.S. private sponsorship initiatives for refugee resettlement at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services. Previously, she served as Site Lead at an Operation Allies Welcome Safe Haven, where she oversaw educational, cultural, legal, and wellness programming for newly arriving Afghan refugees.
Earlier, she served as Executive Director of the Gaithersburg Beloved Community Initiative, a national award-winning nonprofit dedicated to strengthening community through dialogue and collective action. She has also worked in higher education, helping prepare future art therapists and championing the role of the arts in learning, healing, and community well-being.
Throughout her career, she has built partnerships across the public, nonprofit, grassroots, and cultural sectors, using creativity as a catalyst for connection and social change. Today, she is expanding her own visual arts practice, exploring themes of migration, belonging, and shared humanity. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and is honored to serve on the CREATE Board.
Director, Lydia Nylander
Lydia Nylander is an enterprise risk, crisis and strategy consultant impacting projects, people and potential at a global scale. As a former US diplomat and Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), she oversaw risk management for a $65 billion federal agency dedicated to humanitarian assistance, development outcomes and sustainability. Prior to this role, she led a team of over 25 risk experts, offering technical and policy guidance on development projects in more than 25 countries. Nylander previously held senior program roles at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the U.S. Department of Justice.
She is a founding board member of Trade plus Impact, a global platform empowering African women entrepreneurs in the craft and natural cosmetics sectors. Ms. Nylander earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of London and a Master’s in International and Comparative Law from The George Washington University Law School. She is a 2018 Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s International Career Advancement Program and made the Center for Strategic and International Studies List of National Security Leaders to watch.
Director, Sandy Brooks
Sandy Brooks is an organizational strategist, nonprofit executive, and trusted advisor with more than 30 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations strengthen leadership, build organizational capacity, and create lasting community impact. As founder of MissionDriven Solutions LLC, she partners with nonprofit organizations to align mission with strategy, strengthen governance, enhance operational effectiveness, and develop resilient organizations equipped to thrive in a changing world. Throughout her career, Sandy has guided boards and executive leaders through organizational growth, strategic transformation, and complex challenges by building collaborative partnerships, fostering stakeholder engagement, and translating vision into practical, sustainable action. Recognized for her thoughtful leadership, organizational stewardship, and ability to bring people together around a shared purpose, she is passionate about helping organizations fulfill their missions with greater clarity, effectiveness, and impact.